Knowsley Council has opened its new £16.1m, Broadway Malyan-designed leisure, spa and cultural complex on the former St Thomas Becket School site in Huyton.

Facilities at 6,600sq m (71,042sq ft) Knowsley Leisure and Cultural Park include a wet spa area with steamroom, sauna and whirlpool, as well as treatment rooms.

The complex also boasts two swimming pools; a six-court sports hall; and a gym with more than 100 stations, along with a separate spinning studio. An adjacent youth facility will open this month (October).

and have been specifically designed to rate the level of customer service, facilities and value for money provided by clubs by asking mem-bers to complete an online questionnaire.

The winners of the inaugural Members’ Choice Health Club Awards have been announced at a gala dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole NEC hotel on 22 September.

Supported by Health Club Management, the awards saw winners in four Grand Prix and 14 regional categories, with Grand Prix recepients including Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing (best national chain) and QHotels (best medium-sized chain).

Vibralife Fitness Clinic, based in Carlisle, was awarded the Best Club in the UK (less than 2,000 members) title, while Spelthorne Leisure Centre – part of the Everyone Active group – was crowned the Best Club in the UK (2,000 members or more).

The awards are unique in the industry as the only awards rated by members themselves

The ceremony was held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole NEC hotel

The new complex comprises two swimming pools

The centre will feature one half-size and 11 full-size youth pitches; one half-size and four full-size first team pitches; and sleeping accommodation and a classroom facility, plus a 7,000-seat stadium for youth matches.

Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) has submitted plans for the construction of a new youth development and first team training cen-tre in the Openshaw West area of the city.

Forming part of the club’s Etihad Campus vision, the proposed centre is set to cover up to 80 acres (32 hectares) of brownfield land close to its Etihad Stadium and the submission of plans to Manchester City Council follows a consultation process, which the club said had a 97 per cent approval rating from residents.

Under MCFC’s plans for the site, a new home for its youth development will provide a home for up to 400 young players who will train and study alongside senior players.

The scheme will offer youth and first-team facilities

leisure opportunities

Arts Council England (ACE) has announced the publication of its new strategic framework for the museums sector, which sets out its vision for the future of UK heritage attractions.

The document, Culture, knowledge and understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone, outlines how museums and libraries will be incorporated into ACE’s work.

It came ahead of the scheduled transfer of the Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) Council’s roles and responsibilities to ACE, which took place on 1 October.

Leisure Opportunities is published fortnightly by

The Leisure Media Company Limited, Portmill

House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, UK

and is distributed in the USA by SPP, 75 Aberdeen

Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals

postage paid @ Manchester, PA POSTMASTER

Send US address changes to Leisure Opportunities,

c/o PO Box 437,Emigsville, PA 17318-0437.

The views expressed in print are those of the author

and do not necessarily represent those of the

publisher The Leisure Media Company Limited.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication

may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

transmitted in any form or by means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise

without the prior permission of the copyright

holder. Printed by Warners Midland plc.

©The Leisure Media Company Limited 2011

ISSN 0952/8210

Subscribe to Leisure Opportunities,Online: www.leisuresubs.com Email: subs@leisuremedia.comTel: +44 (0)1462 471913Annual subscription rates are UK £31,

Europe £41, Rest of world £62, students UK £16.

London mayor Boris Johnson

has urged Tottenham Hotspur

Football Club (THFC) to press

ahead with proposals for the

redevelopment of its White

Hart Lane stadium.

The mayor and Haringey

Council leader Claire Kober,

have both called on the Premier

League club to “urgently”

pursue its Northumberland

Development Project (NDP).

THFC has now received

all the necessary planning

approval for them to move

forward with the plans, which

include a new 56,250-seat sta-

dium designed by KSS.

However, the NDP will also contribute to

the regeneration of the surrounding area, with

the proposals also including the provision of

a hotel and new public spaces.

Greater London Authority and Haringey

Council officials met with the club on 28

Wigan’s new Healthy Living

Zone, which forms one half

of the Greater Manchester

town’s multi-million pound

Life Centre development, has

opened to the public.

Located on the site of the

former College Avenue swim-

ming baths, the venue boasts

a 25m x 21m swimming pool

with moveable floor and a 13m

x 7.5m learner pool.

A 60-station Profiles Health

and Fitness Centre equipped

by Technogym and also offer-

ing a free weights area has

also been created, along with

a steam/sauna room.

The Health Living Zone represents the

‘South Site’ of the Wigan Life Centre and will

be joined by the ‘North Site’, including a library

and an Information Zone, in early 2012.

September to put forward a £17m package

towards regeneration aspects of the NDP.

Johnson said: “August’s riots were a tell-

ing reminder of just how important it is for

Spurs to press ahead with the development at

Northumberland Park and to help kick-start

a much wider regeneration project.”

Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust (WLCT)

will manage both parts of the £217m complex

on behalf of Wigan Council, while NHS Ashton

has also been involved with the project.

Tottenham Hotspur had previously labelled its NDP as no longer viable

A 60-station fitness centre is among the facilities at Wigan Life Centre

The Institute for the Management of Sport and

Physical Activity (IMSPA) has appointed the

director general of the Institute of Directors,

Miles Templeman, as its new chair.

Templeman took up the post on 1 October

and replaces IMSPA’s interim chair, Marc

Newey, who relinquished his position at the

organisation at the end of September.

During his career, Templeman has held

senior management and consultancy roles, as

well as non-executive directorships, at firms

such as Lucozade, Stella Artois and Bulmers.

Richard Caborn, the former

sports minister, has claimed

that plans to increase sports

participation in the UK

as part of legacy plans for

London 2012 are in danger

of “failing completely”.

Speaking at the annual

meeting of the Sports and

Recreation Trust Association

(Sporta), which took place

during the Leisure Industry

Week event in Birmingham

on 21 September, Caborn

singled out Sport England

and said that the decision to

change the emphasis of the

governing body’s role in 2008 was “nothing

short of disastrous”.

He said that changing Sport England’s role

to one which merely funds governing bodies

– instead of involving local authorities and

regional sports councils in boosting partici-

pation – was a “massive mistake”.

Northampton Saints rugby

club has confirmed the plans

and timeline for the develop-

ment of its Franklin’s Gardens

stadium in the town.

The new North Stand will

transform Franklin’s Gardens

into a wraparound arena and

will complete 10-year redevel-

opment project of the venue.

Designed by Peter Haddon

Partnership, the new North

Stand will see the capacity of

Franklin’s Gardens increas-

ing to around 15,500 and also

includes 10 hospitality boxes;

a function suite seating up to

270 people; a stadium control

room and television studio; a bar for support-

ers and full facilities for disabled fans.

The club expects that work on the develop-

ment is to be completed by summer 2013.

A new football academy could be established

in Luton, Bedfordshire, as part of wider plans

for the transformation of the town’s former

Barnfield South Academy site.

The academy will feature with a learning

support centre and primary school, with Luton

“The new strategy drawn up for Sport

England in 2008 was fundamentally flawed and

needs a major change of direction if the disas-

trous decline is to be reversed,” he said. “As

NGBs do not have the infrastructure to deliver

mass participation, they should not be the

agency responsible for mass participation.”

The Saints had announced draft plans for

a new North Stand in May 2009. Those plans

included replacing the Sturtridge Pavilion and

increasing capacity to more than 17,000.

The former sports minister is critical of participation legacy proposals

Northampton Saints is planning a major revamp of Franklin’s Gardens

Town Football Club to lease part of the site for

its facility currently based in Baldock.

A competition-standard, full-size pitch; an

all-weather junior pitch; changing facilities;

and a classroom are among the facilities that

will form part of the football academy.

A new £4.75m dual-use facility has opened

at Sir Bernard Lovell School in Oldland

Common, South Gloucestershire.

South Gloucestershire Council invested

£2.5m in the community sports centre,

with additional funding coming from the

Football Foundation (£735,000) and Lawn

Tennis Association (£150,000).

Facilities at the venue include a health

and fitness club with exercise and dance

studios and a large multi-purpose sports

hall, which will also be used for Futsal, and

conferencing facilities.

Plans for a £31m leisure, business support

and community facility in Redcar have

received final approval from planners.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

is to develop the facility on a site between

Kirkleatham Street and Coatham Road,

which will include a six-lane, 25m swim-

ming pool, a training pool and a learner

pool; a fitness suite; and a junior gym.

Other facilities at the complex – designed

by Plus3 Architects and S&P Architects –

include a dance hall and performance

space; changing areas; and a sports hall.

S&P Architects have worked on the venue’s design

An “innovative” project, which will see heat

generated from the flue gas cleaning pro-

cess at Redditch Crematorium reused at a

nearby leisure centre, is now underway.

Work will connect the town’s new Abbey

Stadium Leisure Centre to the crematorium,

which is thought to be the first scheme of its

kind to be undertaken in the UK.

When the scheme is complete, 100 per

cent of the heat energy generated from the

flue gas cleaning process at the cremato-

rium will be transferred to the facility and

will help reduce running costs.

image: fotokostic/shutterstock.com

Gerflor require a number of Regional Show Sites for our new TaraflexTM Sports Flooring.

ECO-FITTM is a new innovation allowing an existing sports surface or multi purpose floor to be left in place and overlaid. This saves on downtime, environmental impact and costs.

TaraflexTM ECO-FITTM went into production in April 2011 and we now require a number of Regional Show Sites to help us fully launch the product.

Requirement: Sports or multi purpose hall over 100SqM in need of improvement or replacement.

School, College, Trust, Charity or Local Authority. Full technical site survey required. Existing compliant surfaces, including Wood, Lino, Granwood, Rubber, PU.

We provide a new sports floor at a heavily discounted rate in return for feedback, pictures, future client visits etc:-

Sites Required in:Scotland - Somerset - North West - Yorkshire -Midlands - London - Surrey - Kent -Wiltshire - South Wales - Ulster - Cheshire - Hertfordshire - Hants - Herefordshire - Cumbria -North East Bucks - Staffs - Derbyshire - Tyneside - Lancashire - Suffolk - and more.

Contact us now for a no obligation discussion or to arrange a survey.

Darren WoodSports Manager Tel: 07836 366579, Email: dwood@gerflor.com

visit: www.gerflor.co.uk

SPECIAL OFFER WANTED – REGIONAL SHOW SITES

Save up to 50% on a refurbishment sports floor!

Motive8 has announced the

opening of its second train-

ing studio at Holbeck Urban

Village in Leeds, with an addi-

tional two sites also being

earmarked to open in the

coming months.

The group’s first private stu-

dio offering small classes and

personal training was opened

in London, and its move to

Leeds marks the start of its

expansion into the north.

Founded by Yorkshire-

based Nick Sadler in 1998,

Motive8 is now finalising the

details for a second site in the

Leeds area, while a third is to open in 2012.

In addition to its new Leeds training studio,

Motive8 has also revealed that it is working on

four more gym design and installation projects

and a further six maintenance contracts.

Sadler said: “In the last 13 years, [Motive8]

has seen great success and has expanded to

Fight Science, a provider of

mixed martial arts (MMA)

and combat sports training

founded by light heavyweight

champion Nick Chapman, is

to open a gym in Aldershot.

Life Fitness has been signed

up as Fight Science’s partner

in creating the provider’s first

facility, which is located in a

listed venue formerly housing

an Army boxing gym.

Fight Science Gymnasium

will feature the Life Fitness

Elevation Series Inspire cv

series, as well as Hammer

Strength equipment, and

provide bespoke training for combat athletes

covering principles such as strength and con-

ditioning, nutrition and physiotherapy.

However, members of the local community

will also be encouraged to make use of the new

Harry Macmillan, chief executive of children’s

charity MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition...

Do it!) has called for a more collaborative

approach to address child obesity in the UK.

Macmillan told Health Club Management (September 2011) that child obesity had

become the market leader in residential gym

design, as well as seeing rapid growth in the

corporate market.

“We have received a lot of interest in our

gym design and installation from the North

and being a Yorkshire man, it was a natural

step to open our second fitness studio there.”

facility, with regular membership and pay-as-

you-go options to be made available.

Chapman said: “Our goal is to offer our

athletes the very best that science and develop-

ment in sporting performance has to offer.”

Scheving: LazyTown will be around for a long time

Motive8 has confirmed the opening of its first site in northern England

MMA champion Nick Chapman is behind the new Fight Science Gym

“dropped off the political agenda”, while kids’

fitness was a “low priority” for government.

As a result of this, Macmillan called for the

fitness industry to tackle the issue in a more

collaborative way to ensure scarce resources

return maximum benefit.

Precor by Inspirit has secured a deal for the

upgrade of facilities at the Pleasance Sports

Complex, at the University of Edinburgh’s

Centre for Sports and Exercise.

Under the new contract, 100 pieces of

equipment from the Precor Experience

Series is to be installed at the facility and

will include the P80 console.

From December, Inspirit will also offer

a training academy for all complex staff,

which will feature six modules running at

regular intervals over a three-year period.

Magnus Scheving, founder of the children’s

television programme LazyTown, has told

Leisure Opportunities that he believes the

concept has more to offer the UK market.

The brand has recently joined forces with

both Fitpro and the Change4Life initiative

to increase the number of young children

taking part in physical activity, but Scheving

is not ruling out further collaborations.

Scheving said: “The person I think could

really help would be Sir Richard Branson. I

think he would understand what’s needed

to be done to get a country moving.”

Somerset Leisure Trust has announced the

opening of a new 34-station fitness suite at

West Somerset Sports and Leisure Centre,

following the completion of a £100,000

refurbishment of the venue.

Life Fitness has supplied equipment as

part of the renovation, which has included

an upgrade of the cv machines and the

acquisition of additional Hammer Strength

weight training stations.

TRX suspension training equipment has

also been installed as part of the revamp,

as well as the addition of specialist flooring

designed to withstand impact.

Team GB Olympic rower Alex

Partridge has helped officially

unveil Nuffield Health’s new-

look health and wellbeing

centre in Covent Garden, fol-

lowing a £2.5m overhaul.

Covent Garden Fitness and

Wellbeing Centre underwent

a two-phase revamp, the sec-

ond of which was a £500,000

upgrade of wet facilities.

The centre offers a bespoke

hydrotherapy and spa area

with sauna and steamroom,

with visitors able to benefit

from hydrotherapy facilities

in the 20m pool area.

Work on the £2m first phase of the renova-

tion was completed in December 2010, with

the construction of a new health clinic.

Three new-look studios; upgraded changing

facilities; and a new 100-station gym, which

The construction of a new £8.75m leisure centre

in Witham, Essex, has moved a step closer after

Braintree District Council (BDC) approved

planning permission for the scheme.

Five companies have been shortlisted as part

of a search to secure a contractor to deliver the

was predominantly supplied by Life Fitness,

have also formed part of the overall scheme.

ViPR; TRX; and Power Plate also supplied

equipment to the gym at Covent Garden

Fitness and Wellbeing Centre.

Technogym’s Tony Majakas helped launch the campaign at LIW 2011

The Covent Garden centre’s wet facilities have undergone a renovation

Scott Brownrigg Architects-designed facility,

with work due to start later this year.

Located adjacent to the Maltings Academy,

the new centre will include a six-lane, 25m

pool; a learner pool with moveable floor; a

fitness suite; and two dance studios.

The new-look centre will boast a 170-station gym

Renowned US-based health and fitness

expert Thomas Plummer has issued a warn-

ing to the UK fitness industry with regards

to the advent of low-cost memberships.

Addressing delegates at Leisure Industry

Week 2011, Plummer drew on his extensive

experience of the US market to reveal that

budget models were a “micro-trend”.

Plummer said: “[The US] is in the mid-

dle of a micro-trend and it’s going to spill

over here. You will get around three or four

years of disruption and then it will fail. It’s

failing in the US.”

The London Borough of Sutton has given

the green light for the redevelopment of

Westcroft Leisure Centre to go ahead.

As part of the £11.3m scheme, the exist-

ing facility in Carshalton is to close on 23

October to enable demolition work to be

carried out ahead of the new-build stage

When it relaunches late next year the new

Hoca Practice-designed Westcroft Leisure

Centre will incorporate a 25m competition

pool; a large teaching pool; an eight-court

sports hall; and 170-station gym, along with

a dance studio and a group cycling room.

Shropshire Council has officially unveiled

the new look Oswestry Leisure Centre.

The new £8m complex boasts facilities

such as a 25m competition-standard pool,

a learner pool and a fitness suite.

A sports hall; an activities studio; and a

multi-function room will also be on offer at

the new Oswestry Leisure Centre, which has

been delivered by Graham Construction.

The construction firm took over respon-

sibility for building the venue after Frank

Galliers left the project in January 2010 due

to reported “financial difficulties”.

A major new campaign invit-

ing members of the public to

pledge their support to the

athletes taking part in the 2012

London Games is to launch

nationwide in January 2012.

Team GB and Paralympics

GB, working with official

Games supplier Technogym,

revealed the Our Greatest

Team initiative at this year’s

Leisure Industry Week.

Individuals will be invited

to make a pledge to improve

their health and wellbeing in

support of British Olympians

and Paralympians, which will

take a variety of forms.

Meanwhile, the health and fitness sector

will also be able to participate in the campaign

and help with the establishment of a Pledge

Community Hub network in the UK.

Participating venues will be able to make use

of the Our Greatest Team branding and web

tools, which includes use of the Olympic logo,

and link the public to fitness establishments.

Tony Majakas, vice president of health and

green business development at Technogym,

said: “[Our Greatest Team] is a ready-made

marketing plan for your facility.”

For more on LIW 2011, turn to page 12.

Northern Ireland-based

development group McAleer

and Rushe has revealed that

it has sold the 192-bedroom

W London-Leicester Square

hotel in a deal worth £200m.

The property, which is oper-

ated by Starwood and located

on the corner of Leicester

Square and Wardour Street,

is now under the ownership

of a Qatari-based investor.

Designed by Jestico +

Whiles, the hotel opened

in April and comprises the

fifth floor Away Spa, which

includes five treatment rooms,

three private suites and a beauty boutique.

Eamonn Laverty, the managing director of

McAleer and Rushe, said: “We built a hotel

that is instilled with the highest levels of design

and exclusivity that one would expect of such

a glamorous brand as W and on such a prom-

inent site. The funds raised will be reinvested

UK hospitality firms are set to

be “set free” from more than

60 regulations under new pro-

posals announced by tourism

minister John Penrose.

The plans, which will lead to

“overly burdensome, bureau-

cratic or completely redundant

rules” being scrapped as part

of the government’s Red Tape

Challenge, follows an exten-

sive public consultation.

Changes to be introduced

include a reduction in licens-

ing requirements, which will

make application forms sim-

pler and provide authorities

with increased flexibility.

Regulations covering the location and design

of ‘no smoking’ signs will be scrapped, while

the government will also tackle excess charges

for the inspection of private water supplies.

in the business and will assist us in the pursuit

of other development opportunities.”

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and Steerforth

Partners advised on the sale. Jon Hubbard of

JLL added: “This sale reinforces the interna-

tional appeal of London, recognising the long

term strength of the London hotel market.”

Penrose said: “Wading through bumph,

filling in pointless and repetitive forms is a

spirit-sapping experience which too often

chokes off enterprise and endeavour.”

The iconic hotel is now under the ownership of a Qatari-based investor

The government is planning to scrap 60 regulations for hospitality firms

Crowne Plaza London-St James and 51

Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences

have secured a package worth £50m from

Barclays Corporate towards upgrade work.

The new five-year arrangement will refinance

the existing facilities of both properties, which

are owned by Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

and will fund refurbishment projects.

Nagarajan Chandrasekhar of Taj Hotels

said: “We are pleased to have secured Barclays

Corporate’s support in what remains a chal-

lenging market, not just for the hotel sector.”

recent document called At Your Service – prepared by

VisitEngland – has found that

hotels, restaurants and pubs are

missing out on an estimated £2bn market

opportunity. Why is this? Well, it is simply

a case of accessibility, or the lack of it, not

being at the forefront of owners’ and man-

agers’ minds. It would appear that despite

awareness-raising campaigns, as well as

the existence of legislation, the hospitality

industry is still struggling to understand

fully the needs of people with disabilities.

Even where a customer’s disability is

obvious, such as with a wheelchair user,

the widespread lack of appreciation of the

needs of people in this position can often

result in the individual concerned having

a disappointing experience. This can lead

to a reluctance to dine out or travel. When

one considers that customers in this posi-

tion are often accompanied, it is easy to

see how the cumulative effect of these lost

opportunities can lead to the staggering fig-

ure highlighted earlier.

Of course, not all disabilities are as obvi-

ous as a wheelchair, but it is important for

staff to recognise clues which may suggest

that a customer might require some spe-

cial consideration. Above all, the key is to

not be fearful of dealing with a customer

who has some level of disability. There are

many actions which can be taken at little or

no cost such as re-siting furniture or ensur-

ing menus are available in larger and clearer

fonts. Education is therefore key in instill-

ing a culture of disability awareness.

People with disabilities are no different

to a ‘normal’ customer in that they want to

stay or dine at a place where they feel wel-

come, comfortable and safe. They do not

seek undue attention, but respond favour-

ably to polite requests about any assistance

they may require. With simple methods in

place, the hospitality business will develop

a reputation for being ‘accessibility aware’,

leading to the creation of a loyal and reg-

ular customer base, with the self-evident

benefit to the bottom line.

For more advice on how you can benefit

from this market visit the Tourism for All

website at: www.tourismforall.org.uk

image: corepics/shutterstock.com

South Africa-based spa brand Africology has announced that it has joined forces with the Bloww salon in London to mark the launch of its treatment menu in the UK market.

Starting from the end of September, all treat-ments at Bloww are to use Africology products,

while the company’s products will also go on sale at the Bloww retail zone.

Africology owner and chief executive officer Renchia Droganis has partnered with Rachelle Moulai on the project, with Moulai named spa director of the Africology Spa at Bloww.

The new Colchester resort includes an on-site spa

Aromatherapy Associates is set to open a new boutique and treatment rooms in Knightsbridge on 11 October to provide the company with its “own platform”.

Martin Hulbert is behind the design of the company’s new location in the capital, which will offer a bespoke blending service from co-founder Geraldine Howard.

Complimentary consultations and sampling; an ‘ingredients bar’; and three treatment rooms will also be on offer at the Knightsbridge facility, which will be sited on Montpelier Street.

Howard said: “It is a dream come true for us to have our own platform to shout about, and for people to experience, the life-changing benefits of aromatherapy.

“The space will be dedicated to the thera-peutic value of essential oils. Every person who walks through the door will take a valuable experience away with them.”

The new 194-bedroom Crowne Plaza Resort Colchester - Five Lakes, which is the first UK resort to open under the Crowne Plaza brand, has opened for the first time.

Owned by AB Hotels and run by BDL Management as part of Intercontinental Hotels Group, the property boasts a swim-ming pool; a gym; and an on-site spa.

ESPA, Clarins and Jessica Nails supply the resort’s spa, which includes 12 treatment rooms, a relaxation room, a sauna, a steam-room and a spa bath.

Other facilities include two 18-hole golf courses, three practice putting courses and a floodlit eight-bay driving range.

Ben Danielsen, the property’s general manager, said: “It is extremely important for us to look at what will make a stay here special for our guests.”

Intelligenz Solutions, the Australia-based provider of integrated software for the fitness, spa, wellness and hos-pitality sector, has revealed plans to enter the UK market for the first time.

In addition to its exist-ing offices in Australia, New Zealand and the US, a base is to open in Northampton, UK, to serve the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Intelligenz sales man-ager Neil O’Connell told Spa Opportunities that the group will be targeting smaller hotel chains and independent hotels/day spas.

Among the company’s products are the intel-liSpa and intelliFitness services, and O’Connell said that “there was a strong opportunity in the UK for a specialised spa solution”. Intelligenz is planning to showcase its solutions at a number of upcoming shows and has attracted “great

interest” from a number of its already-identi-fied target businesses.

O’Connell said: “We believe that our soft-ware solution is more comprehensive and functional than the major competitors and perhaps is more current in its integration of web and mobile facilities.”

Thailand’s ChivaSom is one venue to use Intelligenz Solutions software

A spokesperson has confirmed that a Moroccan-themed spa at Dolphin House in London is to open on 10 October.

Inspired by the ancient cleansing and purifying ritual of a Moroccan hammam, The Spa in Dolphin House boasts of being London’s first spa to offer guests both an authen-tic Moroccan hammam and rasul as well as a traditional salt infused steamroom.

The new 4,000sq ft (372sq m) spa is the brainchild of Dolphin House general man-ager Neil Miller-Chalk, with interiors incorporating ‘the essence’ of Morocco through contemporary interior design and evocative decoration.

Facilities will include five treatment rooms, two studios, relaxation lounges and walled

courtyard, while the selection of product houses to be on offer will include La Sultane de Saba, Comfort Zone, Murad, Aromatherapy Associates and SpaRitual.

Dolphin House’s Moroccan-inspired spa includes five treatment rooms

Mather and Co has secured

the design contract for

the new National Football

Museum, which is relocating

from Preston to Manchester.

The Cheshire-based group

has been appointed to work

on all aspects of museum

content following a tender

process, which will include

external signage, lighting,

graphics and 3D structures.

In addition to the National

Football Museum’s permanent

gallery and audio-visual the-

atre, Mather and Co has also

been chosen to work on the

building’s retail and hospitality space.

A key area of focus in the design of the

attraction at the Urbis building will be the

flow of visitors through the property, which

will require new staircases and escalators.

Mather and Co’s Dan Procter said: “What

makes this project so exciting is the fact we

Construction work has begun

on a new chocolate-themed

visitor attraction in York.

The proposed attraction,

which aims to celebrate the

city’s chocolate and confec-

tionary heritage, currently has

the working title The Sweet

History of York and is being

developed by Continuum.

Work has now commenced

on transforming a three-sto-

rey building at the end of

the city’s famous Shambles

street and an opening date is

planned for spring 2012.

The 6,400sq ft (595sq m)

of available space on three floors is part of a

larger building, which is currently owned by

Oakgate; an existing bookshop will remain.

Design company MET Studio has been

appointed to create the attraction’s interactive

Warner Bros has announced the first raft of

operators that have been approved to sell tick-

ets for its new Harry Potter studio attraction at

Leavesden Studios, which opens next spring.

Timed, pre-booked tickets for the new

Warner Bros Studio Tour London - The

are responsible for every aspect of the design,

planning and implementation process.”

Manchester City Council’s Mike Amesbury

added: “The National Football Museum will be

an international-standard museum attracting

up to 350,000 visitors a year and helping attract

investment and jobs to Manchester.”

journey, which will also include retail space

and a café. Once open, visitors will be able to

learn the ‘inside story’ of chocolate production

in York – including popular products such as

Kit Kat and Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

Manchester’s Urbis venue will host the new National Football Museum

The chocolate attraction is due to open on the city’s Shambles in 2012

Making of Harry Potter experience are sched-

uled to go on public sale on 13 October.

US-based exhibition design company

Thinkwell has been working on the scheme,

which is set to cover more than 150,000sq ft

(13,935sq m) of the Leavesden complex.

image: daniel hopkinson

Willmott Dixon will build the new 80ft attraction

Bournemouth Borough Council has

revealed that work on an eco-friendly visitor

centre at Hengistbury Head Nature Reserve

can start after funding was secured.

It is anticipated that construction work

will get underway early next year after the

Heritage Lottery Fund and the Landfill

Communities Fund agreed to provide sup-

port for the development.

Due to open to the public in spring 2013,

the project will lead to an extension to the

existing Barn Cottage using straw bales and

a ‘green’ roof planted with grasses.

Work is to start on a major new attraction

in Redcar this month, which is to provide

the centrepiece of a £30m local council-led

project to revamp the town’s seafront.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

(RCBC) has appointed Willmott Dixon to

build the 80ft (24.3m)-high tower, which

will give visitors a 360-degree view of the

coastline and surrounding landscape.

In addition to the viewing platform,

the town’s new attraction will also provide

studios and galleries for local artists and

creative businesses, as well as a café.

The Royal Navy Submarine Museum

and Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth, have

unveiled a ticketing venture allowing entry

into both attractions in 2012 and 2013.

An inclusive ticket, which includes a

boat ride across Portsmouth Harbour, will

enable visitors to visit the tower’s Crow’s

Nest before embarking HMS Alliance.

Bill Sainsbury, marketing manager at

the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, said:

“We have combined two excellent vis-

its and experiences for a new day out in

Portsmouth Harbour.”

The summer may have drawn to a close,

but with the onset of autumn comes

the annual chance for representa-

tives from across the leisure industry’s broad

spectrum to come together at the UK sec-

tor’s foremost trade show in Birmingham.

Th e National Exhibition Centre (NEC) once

again played host to Leisure Industry Week

(LIW) between 20 and 22 September, with

the 2011 show set to be the last before the 2012

Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

As ever, the event provided a showcase for

a wide range of suppliers, manufacturers and

training providers to showcase their latest ser-

vices, equipment and courses to an audience

of industry professionals and decision-mak-

ers. In addition to the exhibitors, LIW 2011

also presented a programme of seminars

delivered by leading fi gures and some new

highlights – including the Youth Engagement

Zone with Fit for Sport and COMPASS.

Among some of the keynote speeches in

the LIW Education Village was the launch of

the Our Greatest Team campaign fronted by

TeamGB, ParalympicsGB and Technogym,

which will give a chance for fi tness facilities

across the UK to help involve its customers in

driving forward 2012 legacy plans. Facilities

also have the chance to legally use 2012 brand-

ing materials and compete to win equipment

from the Olympic Village.

Read more on p7

In front of more than 300 people, Royal Life

Saving Society (RLSS) UK unveiled plans

for the eighth edition of the National Pool

Lifeguard Qualifi cation (NPLQ), which has

been developed aft er consultation with oper-

ators, trusts, lifeguards and health and safety

managers among others. It aims to provide

a structure in which learners follow a path-

way that a lifeguard might typically take once

completing the course.

Tara Dillon, executive director of IQL UK,

said: “When embarking on a project of this

magnitude and importance it is absolutely

essential that research and consultation is at

the centre of all changes to the decision mak-

ing processes and is fundamental to the entire

project meeting both the needs of the leisure

industry and to our training workforce.”

Meanwhile, renowned health and fi tness

industry expert Th omas Plummer delivered

his fi rst UK session at LIW 2011 and issued a

warning of “chaos”. Based on his experience

of the US market, Plummer told delegates

that the low-priced membership trend would

not be a long-term one and that the indus-

try needs to move towards a results-driven

model, rather than a membership-driven one.

Read more on p7

Meanwhile, on the exhibition fl oor, com-

panies had plenty of new launches to shout

about. PocketFit Training is a brand new

training provider for the health and fi tness

industry, off ering both nationally-recognised

qualifi cations and resources and workshops

designed to allow personal trainers/instruc-

tors to generate revenue from the PocketFit

programmes, as well as gaining CPD points.

A spokesperson for PocketFit said: “We

launched at LIW and the response was excel-

lent, with the feedback showing that the

workshops and courses off ered have been

very well received. As a consequence of the

launch, we have secured some large contracts

within the sector. Additionally, other fi tness

providers and professionals have approached

us with a view to working together to develop

bespoke programmes and workshops.”

Read more on p18

Among some of the new courses launched

by Premier Training International is

the new Level 4 Exercise for Specialist

Populations (ESP) Diploma, which is the

only nationally-accredited Level 4 QCF pro-

gramme on the market. It is designed as a

progression from the Level 3 Certifi cate in

Advanced Personal Training and aims to

refl ect closer links with the medical sector.

Debra Stuart, chief executive offi cer of

Premier Global, said: “From a Premier

Training International point of view, it was

great to be able to showcase all of the innova-

tion we are working on and interact with the

visitors to the show. We had a very busy stand

due to the challenges and activity we were

running throughout the whole three days.

Visitors and exhibitors from across the leisure

sector attended this year’s Leisure Industry Week

hopes will “bring life” to UK leisure centres. Squirtums were named by the company’s ‘Kid Consultants’ and are designed to sit in shallow pool water, with children able to operate han-dles to create a cascade of water into one of four Squirtum table tops. It aims to promote inclusive play and build water confi dence in children aged between 0- and 8-years old.

Personal trainers visiting this year’s LIW were able to benefi t from insider hints and tips with the help of Escape Fitness, which also showcased the latest products it believes can help operators and owners attract new cus-tomers, as well as to retain existing ones. Escape is also working with Optimal Life Fitness to create the new Move It training area, which will provide functional equipment and fl ooring; stimulating design features; and fast, eff ective workouts.

Milon Industries exhibited its “unique” con-cepts and systems to visitors at this year’s show, which have been devised in a bid to enhance the operation of fi tness centres and health centres. Milon says its services set facil-ities apart from rival operators, helping to attract new customers and engage existing ones, while also allowing for the generation of increased revenue with less fl oor space.

Relaunched in the UK in 2009, Neptunus is the provider of temporary structures for the sport, fi tness and hospitality industries. Th e company is a market leader in the provision of semi-permanent facilities and has become an approved member of the Sports and Play

Contractors’ Association. At LIW, the com-pany unveiled its most energy-effi cient structure, the Flexolution, which off ers an A-Rated energy performance under the EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive.

Jordan Fitness came to this year’s LIW with a number of new partnerships to announce, which will lead to the supplier further expanding its comprehensive range of func-tional training equipment. New agreements have been secured with Lifeline USA; SAQ International; strength and endurance equip-ment provider Beaverfi t; and Alpha Strong. And it was the latter of the three partnerships, which contributed towards Jordan Fitness’ support of a world record attempt at LIW.

Jordan Fitness got behind ultimate-endur-ance athlete Mike Buss’ Iron Soldier Powerbag Challenge, which used Alpha Strong’s Powerbags and saw Buss break his 43rd world record! Th e attempt involved a series of fast shuttle runs while carrying a varying degree of weights, with Buss surpassing his target of 200 reps and going onto achieve a total of 261 in the six-hour challenge.

With the breaking of a world record to add to plenty of new launches, announcements and demonstrations to engage the delegates at LIW 2011, it has been another successful year at Birmingham’s NEC. Th e 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will provide the sport and active leisure industry with some unique opportunities in the months ahead, and it looks like that by the time LIW 2012 comes around, it will provide a timely chance to refl ect on an exciting twelve months.

“Th e children’s activity area was fantas-tic and in fact this seems to be an area, which is growing each year – very positive to see. It was encouraging to see the busy Independent Operators Lounge within the main show. LIW provides a really eff ective way to keep in touch with associates within the industry.”

Another company owned by Premier Global, accrediting body Active IQ launched its new sister company, the Active IQ Academy. It will provide providers with eLearning and online resources to help deliver active leisure courses, including units in customer service; leisure operations and management; and personal training. Specialist units are also available through the new Active IQ Academy.

Read more on p18

Sportwise Education and Training revealed details of its new Level 4 Advanced Nutrition and Supplementation course aims to give health and fi tness professionals a sound understanding in nutrition, which has been developed by Dr Gary Mendoza and follows a legal case in the US, where a personal trainer was sued aft er advising the use of a supple-ment that is believed to have been responsible for the death of a client.

Mendoza said: “LIW off ered the opportu-nity to demonstrate to facility managers and personal trainers that giving poor or inaccu-rate nutrition and supplement advice could leave them legally liable, as per a recent case in the USA. Th is new Level 4 course off ers trainers the chance to get the latest nutritional knowledge to ensure that they are giving sound advice to their clients regarding nutri-tion and the use of supplements.”

Read more on p18

Hippo brought the latest addition to its range of interactive water toys to LIW 2011, which it

Jordan Fitness supported ultimate-endurance athlete Mike Buss (centre) in his 43rd world record attempt

A major marketing campaign

has been launched by Prime

Minister David Cameron

in a bid to attract four mil-

lion extra overseas visitors

and generate at least £1bn in

Olympic business.

The GREAT initiative was

unveiled by Cameron in New

York, US, in an attempt to

promote the UK as one of the

“very best” locations to visit,

study, work and invest in.

In addition to the business

and trade element, tourism is

placed at the heart of GREAT,

with hopes that the campaign

will build on the £115m already generated each

year by the sector.

“Reasons to visit” outlined include the 28

World Heritage Sites located in the UK; plus

the 2012 Olympics, the 2014 Commonwealth

Games and 2015 Rugby World Cup. Music fes-

tivals and the presence of three of the top five

Ireland’s tourism sector con-

tinued to rebound between

May and July, after figures

from the Central Statistics

Office revealed a 9 per cent

increase in visitor numbers.

It follows the announce-

ment last month that the total

number of inbound visitors

for Q2 grew by more than 15

per cent, compared with the

same period in 2010.

During the three-month

period ending July 2011, visitor

numbers continued to grow,

with a 9.3 per cent increase

in travellers from both North

America and European countries.

However, there was a 1.8 per cent decline in

the number of Irish residents travelling abroad

between May and July, when compared with

the same period last year.

museums and galleries in the world are also

included, along with 15 National Parks and

iconic sports venues such as Wembley.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “With

the eyes of the world on Britain in 2012, we

have a fantastic opportunity to showcase every-

thing that the country has to offer.”

Irish tourism minister Leo Varadkar said:

“Developments in the British market are par-

ticularly significant, as this is our largest source

market. The number of visitors from Britain so

far has grown by more than 9 per cent.”

Tourism minister Leo Varadkar hailed the sector’s continued resurgence

The campaign is set to play on a wide range of the UK’s tourist attributes

VisitEngland has hailed the tourism appeal of

celebrity-owned pubs across the country, after

it was announced that Sir Ian McKellen had

acquired an East London establishment.

The actor, who appeared in major film

releases including the Lord of the Rings trilogy

and The Da Vinci Code among others, has

bought The Grapes in Limehouse.

Some of the other celebrity-owned pubs

are Sir Michael Parkinson’s The Royal Oak,

Berkshire, and film director Guy Richie’s

Punch Bowl in Mayfair, London.

he government has announced

that it will reduce Air Passenger

Duty (APD) in Northern Ireland

from £60 for economy flights

and £120 for business class flights to the

USA to £12 and £24 respectively. The rea-

son for the reduction was that Continental

Airlines was about to close the only air ser-

vice between Northern Ireland and the US,

due to APD making flights from Belfast

uncompetitive compared to flights from

Dublin, where APD is only €3 (£2.61) and

is to be removed altogether.

That a difference of £58 is sufficient to

make enough people in Northern Ireland

travel to Dublin to fly to the US (and deter

people in the US from flying into Belfast)

so as to make the route uneconomic shows

how highly price-sensitive travellers are.

It also shows that the government rec-

ognises the principle that if APD is set too

high, there will be a negative impact on

the economy as outbound travellers seek

to avoid the tax and inbound visitors sim-

ply fly to another destination.

This is important because the chancel-

lor has stated in this year’s budget that he

intends to increase APD in the rest of the

UK next year by twice the current rate of

inflation – just under 10 per cent. This is in

addition to the proposed inclusion of avi-

ation in the European Emissions Trading

Scheme whereby airlines will have to buy

permits to cover their CO2 emissions which

will add to the cost of flights.

This fails to recognise that the problem

they have just sought to resolve in Northern

Ireland is already occurring in south east

England. While Dublin is only a two hour

drive from Belfast, making it an easily

accessible alternative, the government has

failed to recognise that it only takes two

hours to travel from London to Paris on the

Eurostar, or just one hour to fly to either

Charles de Gualle or Schipol airports.

If APD needs to be reduced to protect

the Northern Ireland economy then, by the

same logic, APD for passengers in the rest

of the UK also needs to be reduced to pro-

tect the British economy as a whole.

image: tourism

ireland/nutanim

age: kamira/shutterstock.com

savills.com

UK and international property expertscovering all sectors of the leisure and hotel industry

Alan Plumb+44 (0) 1865 269000aplumb@savills.comsavills.co.uk/leisure

Hospitality & LeisureSpecialist Property Services

Valuations, Sales, Aquisitions, Rent Reviews, Expert Witness.Contact: Colin Whitecolin.white@edwardsymmons.com

020 7344 4500

CHARTERED SURVEYORS

3D ReidTel: 0121 212 2221www.3dreid.comAlan Conisbee & Associates LtdTel: 020 7700 6666www.agg.uk.comAshurst LLPTel: 020 7638 1111www.ashurst.comBarclays Commercial BankTel: 07766 361 232BCI DesignTel: 020 7021 0217www.bci-design.comBerwin Leighton PaisnerTel: 020 7760 1000www.blplaw.comBrook Street des Roches LLPTel: 01235 836614www.bsdr.comCB Richard Ellis LtdTel: 020 7182 2197www.cbre.comCgMs ConsultingTel: 020 7583 6767www.cgms.co.ukChase & Partners LLPTel: 020 7389 9494www.chaseandpartners.co.ukChristie & CoTel: 0113 389 2700www.christiecorporate.com

Citygrove Securities PlcTel: 020 7647 1700CMS Cameron McKenna LLPTel: 020 7367 2195www.cms-cmck.comColliers International UK plcTel: 020 7487 1710www.colliers.com/ukCollyer Bristow LLP SolicitorsTel: 020 7470 4408www.collyerbristow.comCushman & Wakefi eld LLPTel: 020 7152 5209www.cushwake.comDavenport LyonsTel: 020 7468 2600www.davenportlyons.comDavis Coff er LyonsTel: 020 7299 0700www.coff ergroup.co.ukDKA AssociatesTel: 020 7034 5267www.dkallp.comDLA Piper UK LLPTel: 020 7796 6155www.dlapiper.comDrivers Jonas DeloitteTel: 0207 3033702www.djdeloitte.co.ukE3 Consulting LimitedTel: 0845 230 6450www.e3consulting.co.uk

Edward Symmons LLPTel: 020 7344 4500www.edwardsymmons.comFiners Stephens Innocent LLPTel: 020 7344 5312www.fsilaw.comFladgate LLPTel: 020 3036 7000www.fl adgate.comFleurets LimitedTel: 020 7280 4700www.fl eurets.comGala Leisure LimitedTel: 0208 507 5445www.galacoral.comGenting CasinosTel: 0118 939 1811www.gentingcasinos.co.ukGerald Eve LLPTel: 020 7333 6374www.geraldeve.comGrant Thornton UK LLPTel: 01753 781167www.uk.gt.comGVA Humberts LeisureTel: 020 7629 6700www.humberts-leisure.comHadfi eld Cawkwell Davidson LimitedTel: 0114 266 8181www.hcd.co.uk

Hermes Real Estate Investment Management LtdTel: 020 7680 3796www.hermes.co.ukIndigo PlanningTel: 020 8605 9400www.indigoplanning.comJames A BakerTel: 01225 789343Jones Lang LasalleTel: 020 7399 5326www.joneslanglasalle.co.ukKerry London LtdTel: 020 7623 4957www.kerrylondon.co.ukKimbells LLPTel: 01908 350 205www.kimbells.com/hospitalityKing Sturge Services LtdTel: 0207 493 4933www.kingsturge.comLawrence Graham LLPTel: 020 7379 0000www.lg-legal.comLegal & General Investment Management Holdings LtdTel: 020 3124 2763www.lgim.co.ukLeisure OpportunitiesTel: 01462 471 905www.leisureopportunities.co.ukLunson Mitchenallwww.lunson-mitchenall.co.uk

Matthews & GoodmanTel: 020 7747 3157www.matthews-goodman.co.ukMayer Brown Rowe & Maw LLPTel: 020 7782 8890www.mayerbrownrowe.comMerlin Entertainmentswww.merlinentertainments.bizMitchells & ButlersTel: 07808 094672MWB Management Services LtdTel: 020 7706 2121www.mwb.co.ukOdeon & UCI Cinemas LtdTel: 0161 455 4000 www.odeonuk.comOlswangTel: 020 7067 3000www.olswang.comPindersTel: 01908 350500www.pinders.co.ukPitmans LLPTel: 0207 6344653Rank Group - Gaming DivisionTel: 01628 504 194Reed Smith LLPTel: 020 3116 3000www.reedsmith.comRoberts Limbrick LtdTel: 03333 405500www.robertslimbrick.com

RTKL-UK LtdTel: 020 7306 0404www.rtkl.comSaturn Projects LtdTel: 01454 202076www.saturnprojects.comShelley SandzerTel: 020 7580 3366www.shelleysandzer.co.ukSRP Risk & Finance LLPTel: 0208 672 7707www.s-r-p.co.ukStrutt & Parker LLPTel: 01722 344057The Leisure Database CoTel: 020 7379 3197www.theleisuredatabase.comThomas Eggar LLPTel: 01293 742747www.thomaseggar.comTragus GroupTel: 020 7121 6432www.tragusgroup.comTrowers & Hamlins LLPTel: 020 7423 8084Wagamama LtdTel: 0207 009 3620Willmott Dixon Construction LtdTel: 01932 584700www.willmottdixon.co.ukX-LeisureTel: 020 7592 1500www.x-leisure.co.uk

Leisure projects have made it on the short-

list for The British Design Awards 2011.

The UK Pavilion at last year’s Shanghai

Expo, designed by Heatherwick Studio; St

Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London by

RHWL and Richard Griffiths Architects;

and the Hepworth Wakefield gallery in

Yorkshire feature on the five strong list.

The list also features the Plasma Studio-

designed Creativity Pavilion at the Xi’an

International Horticultural Expo in China

and the Living Architecture holiday home

project created by Alain de Botton.

Swansea residents have raised fears over the

future of the city’s historic St Helen’s cricket

and rugby ground after it was earmarked

for potential housing development.

First opened in the late 19th century, the

venue entered the history books in 1968

when cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers became

the first man to hit six sixes off an over in

the first class game.

However, Swansea Council’s new Local

Development Plan has included St Helen’s

as one of 500 locations across the area that

could be turned over to housing.

Privately-owned investment firm Topland

Group has confirmed that it has acquired

the 319-bedroom Hilton Glasgow property

on William Street in a deal worth £35.7m.

Royal Bank of Scotland selected Topland

as its preferred buyer for the hotel, which

offers the Ocean Room Spa; a fitness centre;

a sauna and whirlpool; and a 15m pool.

Hilton currently operates the Glasgow

property as part of a 30-year lease agree-

ment signed in 2001 and produces a

turnover-based rent, which is said to have

“consistently exceeded the base rent”.

The mixed-use transforma-

tion of the former Arcade site

in Walthamstow, London, has

moved closer after develop-

ment agreements were signed

by the project’s stakeholders.

Waltham Forest Council

(WFC) is proposing to over-

haul the town centre and

is working with Islington

and Shoreditch Housing

Association (ISHA) and Hill

Group to fulfil its vision.

Pollard Thomas Edwards

Architects (PTEa) will be

responsible for drawing up

plans for the project, which

are currently set to incorporate a cinema, lei-

sure facilities and residential elements.

The final proposals will go before the public

for a consultation process before a planning

application is submitted, with work scheduled

to start on site in September 2012, following

the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

WFC leader Chris Robbins said: “I think

most residents will agree that the plans ISHA

and the Hill Group are drawing up match both

the aspirations of our local community.

“The signing of these development agree-

ments marks a major step forward for our

ambitious plans to revitalise the area.”

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel has been shortlisted

A cinema and leisure facilities are set to form part of the development

Muse Developments has sub-

mitted detailed proposals for

the first phase of the £220m

Central Business District

(Talbot Gateway) Gateway

scheme in Blackpool.

The Manchester-based

developer is working with

Blackpool Council to deliver

the project, which is to include

hotels, restaurants and cafés

when complete, along with

85,000sq m (914,932sq ft) of

office and business space.

Outline planning consent

for the entire development

was approved by council-

lors in March 2010, although

the proposals were dealt a blow after it was

confirmed that the Northwest Regional

Development Agency (NWDA) would not

be contributing any financial support.

The first phase consists of two applications

relating to the refurbishment of a car park; the

new retail space; and the construction of an

office building for public and private use.

The £220m scheme is earmarked to boast hotels, restaurants and cafés

Calderdale Council’s vision for the major rede-

velopment of the Grade I-listed Piece Hall in

Halifax, West Yorkshire, have gone on show

as part of a public display at the site.

The local authority is planning to apply to

the Heritage Lottery Fund next March in a bid

to secure £6.7m towards the scheme, which

will include the restoration of the building.

Other elements of the scheme include the

development of the courtyard to create a new

town square for Halifax and a new heritage

centre exploring the site’s history.

image: patrick wang/shutterstock.com

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/invest

Management & Operation of Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre St Albans City and District Council

St Alban City and District Council (“the Council”) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from suitable leisure management contractors to enter into a contract to manage, maintain and operate the new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, Holywell Hill, St Albans AL1 2DL and deliver the Council’s wider objectives for the leisure centre.The Council wishes to attract innovative proposals for the future management of the facility and the delivery of services. The Council intends to award a contract for a period of ten or fi fteen years. The full advertisement which includes the facility mix for the new leisure centre can be found at

http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/business/procurement/Available-tenders.aspx

The Council reserves the right to seek a separate operator to manage the Café/Bistro facility and therefore Tenderers should note that this element of the Service may be excluded from the fi nal Contract.The Council considers that the existing staff at the current Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre may transfer under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). The Council intends to procure these services in accordance with the restricted procedure set out in Regulation 16 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006.Interested parties should refer to the recently published OJEU Contract Notice (OJEU Ref: (11/S 183-299764/EN)) for further details..

Background information and a Pre-qualifi cation Questionnaire can be obtained from: Mr Nick Walker, Drivers Jonas Deloitte, Athene Place, 66 Shoe Lane, London EC4A 3BQniwalker@djdeloitte.co.uk telephone number +44 (0) 2073 034111.

The closing date for the return of completed questionnaires is 31st October 2011.

MAJOR FREEHOLD/LEASEHOLD LEISURE

OPPORTUNITIES

CAMBRIDGESHIRE HAMPSHIRE

NORFOLKHERTFORDSHIRE

Established businesses.Available individually or as a group.

For further information, please contact: Chris Irving

chris.irving@fl eurets.com0117 923 8090

Non disclosure agreements will need to be signed by prospective purchasers.

TO BOOK OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Emmerson, LPF Administration E: info@leisurepropertyforum.org T: 01462 471932 F: 01462 433909W: www.leisurepropertyforum.org

RESTRICTED NUMBERS

BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

With the financial outlook uncertain, how is the restaurant market coping with the challenges and how will it shape up in the future? Our panel of experts provide some answers to whether growth can continue and how operators are facing up to the challenge.

This Question Time style forum will address all these issues and more with opinions and debate from a panel of experts in the sector: The National Multiple, The Entrepreneur, The Pub Co, The Landlord and Developer and the Financial view.

Programme6.00pm - REGISTRATION AND WELCOME DRINKS6.45pm - CHAIRMANS WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION6.50pm - PANEL OF EXPERTS DISCUSSION FOLLOWED BY

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR AND FURTHER DEBATE8.00pm - DRINKS AND CANAPES

at the offices of CBRE, EVENTS SUITE, HENRIETTA PLACE, LONDON, W1G 0NB

WEDNESDAY 19 OCT 2011, 6.00pm

Hosted by: CBRE

THE FUTURE OF THE RESTAURANT MARKET

Fee £35 + VAT LPF Members / £35 + VAT LPF Members’ guests

LPF/RPAS joint seminar

utumn always means event

season to me – starting with

Leisure Industry Week (LIW)

in September, and LIW 2011 was

particularly successful for SkillsActive.

We used LIW to begin the first consulta-

tion period for our new single endorsement

programme, and will discuss it further with

training providers before presenting the

new offer in the next few months.

The endorsement team was also able to

meet customers, including providers from

overseas, in person. Feedback has been pos-

itive, and interest in our Training Provider

Licence, which gives unlimited opportuni-

ties to providers, was very high.

LIW is a great event for many industry

professionals. However, for some people,

particularly those who have left school or

higher education and haven’t been able

to find work, even making the first step

to employment can be hard. This is why

I’m particularly excited, and proud, of the

work we’ve been doing in conjunction with

another event – WorldSkills London 2011 –

which takes place this month (October).

The WorldsSkills London 2011 Volunteer

Development programme, managed by

SkillsActive, provides young people with

the chance to complete a Level 1 award in

event volunteering, gaining practical expe-

rience by volunteering at the WorldSkills

London 2011 Event.

More than 1,000 competitors and 150,000

visitors are expected to attend the four

day programme in which visitors from 50

different countries compete in 46 skill com-

petitions from electronics to web design.

Volunteering at this event will give the

250 young people who’ve taken part in the

WorldSkills Programme, the chance to put

their learning into practice and, hopefully,

put them on the road to a fruitful career.

As a sector we need to ensure employ-

ability across all levels, from entry to degree

level, and I hope that our partner organ-

isations and employers will continue to

support us in meeting this objective.

UK-based health and fitness

training provider Premier

Training International (PTI)

has launched its new Level

4 Exercise for Specialist

Populations (ESP) Diploma.

The course – unveiled at

Leisure Industry Week 2011,

is the only nationally-accred-

ited Level 4 QCF programme

currently on the market and is

seen as a progression from the

Level 3 Certificate in Advanced

Personal Training.

Candidates will be required

to have completed a Level 3

qualification to be eligible and

will gain 20 REPs points for each of the quali-

fication taken within the diploma.

PTI chief executive officer Debra Stuart said:

“Expectations for fitness industry professionals

are at an all time high and Level 3 qualifica-

tions often aren’t enough to make graduates

stand out from the crowd any more.

“Because of this, we’re making sure that we

maintain our position at the forefront of the

industry and continue to support fitness pro-

fessionals by introducing the only Active IQ

nationally accredited Level 4 QCF qualifica-

tion on the market.”

For more on LIW 2011, turn to page 12.

The course is designed to reflect the sector’s closer links with medicine

A new SkillsActive-accredited

Level 4 course, which has been

designed to help improve

the nutritional knowledge

of personal trainers, has

been launched by Sportwise

Education and Training.

The Advanced Nutrition

and Supplementation course,

which has been developed

by Dr Gary Mendoza, aims

to give health and fitness

professionals a sound under-

standing in nutrition.

It follows a recent legal

case in the US, where a per-

sonal trainer was sued after advising the use

of a supplement that is believed to have been

responsible for the death of a client.

According to Sportwise, its new Level 4 pro-

gramme – accredited by SkillsActive – includes

fundamental biochemistry and physiology

associated with energy metabolism and con-

siders all supplements currently available.

The course is delivered over four days and

provides a “comprehensive manual”, which has

been shaped with the help of more than 500

peer-reviewed references.

The course aims to boost nutritional knowledge of fitness professionals

PocketFit Training, a new company provid-

ing health and fitness-related courses across

“all levels”, has launched at this year’s Leisure

Industry Week (LIW) in Birmingham.

It delivers nationally-recognised qualifi-

cations for professionals in the active leisure

industry, as well as training in SkillsActive-

endorsed revenue-generating resources.

All of PocketFit’s resources have been

designed to fit on playing cards in order to

enhance the accessibility of its programmes, as

well as making them easy to maintain.

image: netea m

ircea valentin/shutterstock.com

Leisure Opportunities

trainingDIRECTORY

Are you in the running for a career in Leisure Management? Loughborough College offers courses in Leisure, Sport, Event and Recreation Management to help you start your career, or develop your skills and managerial expertise from an existing position in the leisure industry.

Study full time, day release, block release or by distance learning, at a variety of levels; from the ISRM Fitness �������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������!"#�$�������������������������������������!����"#��

Recruiting now for a September 2011 start.

For more information0845 166 2950 %%%�������������&

4298_02/11

Focus TrainingAdding value to your staffAs an employer of fitness professionals, you’ll recognise the value of investment in training them to ensure they deliver the best possible service to your membership.

Fantastic professional courses available in:

- Personal Training- Exercise to Music- Gym Instructor- Step- Studio Cycling- Nutrition & Weight Management- GP Exercise Referral- And much more.

Call Focus Now:

0333 9000 222or 01204 388330

www.focus-training.com

The Five-Day First Aid Instructor Course

also includes the renowned Level 3 PTLLS Training Qualifi cation

“…I found the Instructor Course to be excellent

and a credit to your company…”Debbie Hull

(Bishops Stortford)

Why not take control of your HSE First Aid needs?

Nuco Training LtdT: 08456 444 999

enquiries@nucotraining.comwww.nucotraining.com

www.nucoplus.com

For all your fi rst aid needs

Train the Trainer!

LOOKING FOR ACAREER CHANGE?

£250 OFFNOVEMBERPT COURSE

BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?WE’RE KEEPING IT REAL.

08000 54 66 55sohoacademy.comacademy@sohogyms.com

� Learn in Real vibrant working gyms

� Mentoring with Real PT’s and Real clients

� Work experience in a Real gym, our gym!

� Free use of a Real gyms

� Real experienced Tutors and Personal Trainers, We employ only well recognized tutors who have considerable hands-on experience as trainers themselves, keeping the courses fresh.

LIMITED OFFER

* Term

s & co

nd

ition

s app

ly

THUMP provide professional CPD courses that are designed to educate gym instructors, group fitness instructors and personal trainers on how to conduct, structure and teach 'Boxing for Fitness' classes to their clients in all types of environment. THUMP training courses have been designed by sports scientists specifically for the fitness industry and teach a unique system of training that has the perfect balance between professional boxing training and the principles of functional fitness. The THUMP system of training is specifically designed to suit every ones needs and physical abilities making it easy to adapt to either personal training sessions or group exercise classes. All THUMP courses are fully accredited by the Register of Exercise Professionals with 10 CPD credits for each 1 day course.As a fitness professional your clients goals will generally be weight loss, body tone, and increasing cardiovascular fitness; so this has to be the aim of your training sessions or classes. The THUMP courses will equip you with the skills required to design safe and effective 'Boxing for Fitness' training sessions, with the aim of achieving your clients goals.THUMP has been established for 10 years and is the No.1 boxing for fitness qualification in 9 countries. With 18000 fitness professionals already qualified THUMP worldwide we are the biggest boxing qualification in the WORLD!!

Caroline Pearce - TV Gladiator 'ICE', Fitness Presenter & Author, Former Team GB Athlete “I've continued to train hard and stay fit and strong since my International athletic career ended, but following the THUMP Boxing workout I felt muscles I'd forgotten existed!”

If you would like to book and take advantage of our special offer £189.00 for the

2 day course contact us on 01253 392802 or email jon@thumpboxing.co.uk

Or for more information regards THUMP please visit

www.thumpboxing.co.uk

Serious about FITNESS -

Passionate about BOXING

GENERAL MANAGER Availability:Location: Annual salary:

Responsibilities

CLOSING DATE - 21 OCTOBER 2011 dd@bootcamppilates.com

joblinkleisure opportunities

Book a joblink with us and we'll put your logo and company name on every page of the Leisure Opportunities website www.leisureopportunities.co.uk

This advert will have a hyperlink to your website, where you can list all the job vacancies in your company.

TO BOOK Call: +44 1462 471747and start getting applications for your jobs IMMEDIATELY!

Go to www.leisureopportunities.co.uk and click on the link to see the latest jobs from...

������������� �������������

������������������������� ������ �������������������������������������������� ������������!"�����������������������#�� ��� �������$���������������������������� �������%������ �

Manager, Laser Planet, Watford, UK

General Manager, The Gym Group, London Stockwell, UK

General Manager - Sherwood Cabins, Forest Holidays, Sherwood, UK

GP Referral Facilitator, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, London Borough Hackney, UK

2 x GP Referral Facilitator, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Hackney East London, UK

GP Referral Administrator, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Hackney East London, UK

Hourly Paid Lecturer in Fitness, Warwickshire College, Henley in Arden, UK

Assistant Manager (female)*, St Helen’s School, Northwood, UK

Head of Operations – Leisure Group, Renard Resources, Oxfordshire, UK

General Manager – 5 Star Health Club, Renard Resources, Austria

Personal Trainers, Pure Gym Limited, Various locations UK

Managing Director, Parkwood Leisure, Worcester, UK

Spa Manager (Maternity Cover - 12 Months), Renard Resources, London, UK

Business Manager - Apprenticeships, Icon Training, Nationwide, UK

Regional Manager - South East, Icon Training, London, Essex and South East coast, UK

Regional Manager - North, ICON TRAINING, North East/West and Yorkshire and Humberside, UK

Divisional Business Managers, Fusion, Nationwide, UK

General Manager, Bootcamp Pilates, Fulham, London, UK

Sports Duty Officer, Bishop Burton College, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK

General Manager - Littledown Centre, BH Live, Bournemouth, UK

Assistant Leisure Club, Renard Resources, London, UK

Fitness and Supervisor, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Hammersmith And Fulham, UK

Leisure & Spa Manager – Fantastic Hotel Group, Renard Resources, Aberdeen, UK

Duty Manager, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Bromley, UK

Experienced exercise professionals, Ten Pilates, Central London, UK

Personal Trainer (qualified or not yet), At Home Fitness, Various, UK

Membership Sales Consultant, Weybridge Health Club, Weybridge, UK

Field Sales Representative, Peach Recruitment, Halesowen, UK

Scotland Regional Manager, British Military Fitness, Scotland, UK

Club Membership Adviser, Central YMCA, London, West End, UK

General Manager – 5 Star Health Club & Spa, Renard Resources, Germany

General Manager, Renard Resources, London, UK

Aquatics Manager, Kirklees Active Leisure, Huddersfield, UK

Duty Manager, University of Reading, Reading, UK

Football Coaching – USA, UK Elite Soccer, America, United States

Coach Soccer, New York Red Bulls, USA, United States

Sports Coaches, Nexus Community, Chilterns / South Bucks / Oxfordshire, UK

Fitness Instructor, Nexus Community, Didcot, South Oxfordshire, UK

Aerobics Co-coordinator/ Senior Supervision, Marriott Newcastle MetroCentre, Gateshead, UK

Fitness instructor/PT, Ènergie Group, Redditch, UK

Sales Advisor/Club Promoter, Ènergie Group, Swindon, UK

Spa Therapist, Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire, UK

Sports Commercial Officer, Southgate College, London, UK

Therapist/ Receptionist, Woolley Grange, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, UK

General Manager, The Gym Group, Wood Green, UK

Dual Sales and Gym Instructors , Ènergie Group, Harrow, UK

Membership sales advisors, Ènergie Group, Harrow, UK

Beautician - Part-time, énergie Group, Finchley, UK

Part time Membership Sales Advisor, énergie Group, Finchley, UK

Football Coaches, The Sports Factory, New Jersey, United States

General Manager, The Gym Group, Bournemouth, UK

General Manager, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, East London, UK

General Manager, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, North LondonService (Assistant), UK

Manager Operations, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, East London, UK

Visitor Experience Manager, National Trust, Hardwick Hall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK

Visitor Experience Manager, National Trust, Anglesey Abbey, Cambridge, UK

Exhibit and Membership Sales Executive, IAAPA, Hong Kong

Leisure and Sports Manager, Leisure and Culture Dundee, Dundee, UK

Part Time or Full Time Receptionist, Wildern Leisure Centre, Hedge End, Southampton, UK

Casual Instructors, Wildern Leisure Centre, Hedge End, Southampton, UK

Casual Leisure Assistants / Lifeguards, Wildern Leisure Centre, Hedge End, Southampton, UK

Fitness and Wellbeing Officer, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, Littleover, Derby, UK

Partnership Manager, University of East London, London, UK

Asst. Sports Club Mgr (Membership Sales Strengths, Leisure Force, United Arab Emirates

Head Swim Coach with Club Development Experience, Leisure Force, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Club Manager, Anytime fitness, Central London, UK

Spa Attendant, Sofitel London St James, London, UK

Spa Butler, Sofitel London St James, London, UK

County FA Development Manager, Cheshire County Football Association, Cheshire, UK

Head Therapist, Clinique La Prairie, Clarens/Montreux, Switzerland

Spa Manager & Health Club Supervisor, Leisure Force, United Arab Emirates

Spa Therapist, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Head Therapist, The Balmoral Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Therapist, Bluestone National Park Resort, Pembrokeshire, UK

Spa Manager, The Landmark Hotel, London, UK

Spa Operations Manager, Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa, Cumbria, UK

Les Mills Instructors, Leisure Force, Saudi Arabia

Personal Trainer, The Gym Group, Ealing, UK

Marketing Assistant (temp-perm), Valley Leisure Ltd, Andover, UK

Sales and Promotions Manager, YMCA Fitness Industry Training, Central London, UK

Duty Supervisor, Tone Leisure, Ivybridge

Service (Assistant) Manager, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Newham, East London, UK

Service (Assistant) Manager Sales, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Covent Garden, UK

Duty Manager , Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Hackney, East London, UK

Healthy Living and Wellness Officer, University of Greenwich, London, UK

Facilities Manager, West Bromwich Albion Football Club, West Bromwich, UK

Fitness Consultant, Ènergie Group, Southampton, UK

Membership sales advisors, Ènergie Group, Harrow, UK

Dual Fitness Instructor and Sales Promotor/Advisor, Ènergie Group, Canterbury, UK

Receptionist, Ènergie Group, Southampton, UK

Membership Manager, Ènergie Group, Epsom, UK

Sales Consultant, Ènergie Group, Southampton, UK

Personal Trainer, Ènergie Group, Rotherham, UK

Relief Duty Supervisor, Tone Leisure, Various, UK

Tutors and Assessors, Fitness Industry Education, Various, UK

League Operations Manager, Soccersixes, Nuneaton, UK

Regional Managers (North and South), The Gym Group, North / South, UK

Duty ManagerSportsPark

To apply please visit www.reading.ac.uk/Jobs or contact Human Resources, University of Reading,Whiteknights, PO Box 217, Reading RG6 6AH. Telephone +44(0)118 378 6771 (voicemail)

New opportunities to enable more disabled people to play sport

With the 2012 London Paralympics only a year away, there has never been a better time to champion sport for disabled people and work within an exciting sector. English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) works in partnership with the National Disability Sport Organisations (NDSOs) which help to get people with specific impairments active in sport. This partnership allows us to signpost disabled people and extended networks to a range of sporting opportunities and information.

Sport England funding has enabled a number of exciting sports development roles to be created within NDSOs and EFDS. We are looking for motivated and dedicated professionals with an in-depth understanding of the sector, as well as a passion for working within sport for disabled people. Due to the type of roles, impairment specific knowledge would be a distinct advantage.

Please note that all posts will be fixed term contracts and details will be available for each organisation. For more information on each role including salaries, recruitment processes and deadlines- please contact the relevant organisations below:

British Blind Sport Sport Development Advisor (blind and visually impaired people)For further details visit www.britishblindsport.org.uk

Dwarf Sports Association UKInclusive Sport Advisor (people with restricted growth)For further details visit www.dsauk.org

Mencap Sport and Special Olympics Great BritainLearning Disability Sport Advisors (two posts)For further visit www.mencap.org.uk/jobs

UK Deaf SportInclusive Sport Advisor (deaf and hard of hearing people)For further details visit www.ukdeafsport.org.uk

Wheelpower - British Wheelchair SportSports Advisor (wheelchair users and physically impaired)For further details visit www.wheelpower.org.uk

All positions are displayed on www.efds.co.ukFor a broader overview discussion on the roles being advertised please contact: Ray Ashley, Partnerships Manager at EFDS on 01509 227750 or email rashley@efds.co.uk

■ ACE +44 (0)1669 631 210

www.acenterprises.org.uk■ Arts & Business +44 (0)20 7378 8143

www.aandb.org.uk■ ALVA +44 (0)20 7222 1728

www.alva.org.uk■ Arts Council +44 (0)20 7333 0100

www.artscouncil.org.uk■ ASVA +44 (0)1786 475152

www.asva.co.uk■ BALPPA +44 (0)20 7403 4455

www.balppa.org■ BHA +44 (0)845 880 7744

www.bha-online.org.uk■ BICM +44 (0)845 217 1811

www.bicm.co.uk■ BiSL +44 (0)20 8780 2377

www.bisl.org■ CCPR +44 (0)20 7976 3900

www.ccpr.org.uk■ CMAE +44 (0)1334 460 850

www.cmaeurope.org■ Countryside Agency +44 (0)1242 521381

www.countryside.gov.uk■ CPRE +44 (0)20 7981 2800

www.cpre.org.uk■ English Heritage +44 (0)870 333 1181

www.english-heritage.org.uk■ FSPA +44 (0)2476 414999

www.sportsandplay.com■ FIA +44 (0)20 7420 8560

www.fia.org.uk■ HHA +44 (0)20 7259 5688

www.hha.org.uk■ IAAPA +1 703 836 4800

www.iaapa.org■ IEAP +44 (0)1403 265 988

www.ieap.co.uk■ Institute of Hospitality +44 (0)20 8661 4900www.instituteofhospitality.org.uk■ ISPAL +44 (0)845 603 8734

www.ispal.org.uk■ LPF +44 (0)1462 471932

www.leisureprop.com■ LMCA +44 (0)1278 436910

www.lmca.info■ MLA +44 (0)20 7273 1444

www.mla.gov.uk■ NPFA +44 (0)20 7833 5360

www.playing-fields.com■ People 1st +44 (0)870 060 2550

www.people1st.co.uk■ REPs +44 (0)20 8686 6464

www.exerciseregister.org■ SAPCA +44 (0)24 7641 6316

www.sapca.org.uk■ Sports Aid +44 (0)20 7273 1975

www.sportsaid.org.uk■ Sport England +44 (0)8458 508 508

www.sportengland.org■ Springboard +44 (0)20 7497 8654

www.springboarduk.org.uk■ SkillsActive +44 (0)20 7632 2000

www.skillsactive.com■ Tourism Management Institute +44 (0)1926 641506www.tmi.org.uk■ Tourism Society +44 (0)20 8661 4636

www.tourismsociety.org■ VisitBritain +44 (0)20 7578 1000

www.visitbritain.com■ World Leisure +1 250 497 6578

www.worldleisure.org

Proposals for a new €460m (£400.5m) cultural,

sports and leisure development in County

Tipperary, Ireland, could face being axed

under new Irish government legislation.

Alan Shatter, minister for justice, equal-

ity and defence, said no provision is set to be

made for “large resort-style casinos” in new

gambling laws currently being prepared.

The Tipperary Venue, which is earmarked

for a site near Two-Mile-Borris, was to feature

a 500-room hotel with resort-style casino; an

18-hole golf course and a greyhound track.

However, the Irish government is only plan-

ning to make statutory provisions that will

allow for the development of “modest-sized

casinos”. It has recognised the need to support

“a form” of casino entertainment, but felt there

were “good reasons” not to back large-scale

casinos as part of resort projects.

Charles Stanley-Smith, chair of An Taisce

– an opponent of the Tipperary Venue plans

– said: “We are heartened that the minister

has agreed with us that there is no need for a

resort-style casino and that there is no social

benefit in a resort of this scale.”

The scheme has been approved by the local authority

360 Play, the family entertain-

ment centre operator owned

by DP Leisure, has confirmed

that it is to open in a building

formerly home to a Stevenage

nightclub in Hertfordshire.

The new play facility is set

to add to the company’s exist-

ing site, which is located in

Milton Keynes, and is due to

open this year following the

closure of Liquid and Envy.

DP Leisure’s sister company,

DP Associates, has worked on

the proposals over the past six

months and received approval

for the Stevenage Leisure Park

scheme last month.

Covering 24,000sq ft (2,230sq m), the new

Stevenage family entertainment centre will

include an extensive range of children and

family-orientated experiences and activities.

Three main zones will be created in order

to offer different types of activities at the 360

Play venue, which will comprise physical play,

creative play, and skills play.

360 Play will replace the Liquid and Envy club that shut earlier this year

Cineworld has agreed a deal with Telford and

Wrekin Council (TWC) and Citygrove for an

11-screen venue as part of the £250m regenera-

tion of the Southwater area of Telford.

The new multiplex cinema is set to form part

of a wider mixed-use scheme for Southwater,

which will also comprise an 80-bedroom hotel

and seven bars and restaurants.

It is anticipated that TWC and developer

Citygrove will submit plans for the develop-

ment later this year, while talks with hotel and

restaurant operators remain ongoing.

leisure opportunities